The Leafy Greens: Nutrition Packed and Raring to Grow!
by Scott Vlaun

Leafy greens are one of our healthiest foods and also one of the easiest to grow and use. Most germinate in a few days, grow rapidly, tolerate cold, thrive in less than full sun, and adapt well to containers and coldframes. They are fairly resistant to pests, except for the occasional flea beetle attack, which usually can be thwarted with row cover by the observant gardener. (Cover at the first sign of damage.) Most greens are also very easy to save seed from and will actually naturalize in the garden if left to their own devices. Some leafy greens such as spinach, kale, lettuce, and arugula can even overwinter under the snow and commence growing as soon as it melts in the spring. These are hardy plants that really want to grow; it's no wonder that they're packed with so much vitality.

Most greens are delightful when eaten young, tender, and raw with a light dressing, but many will provide hearty food when mature and steamed or sautéed. Flavors range from the mellow butteriness of a bibb lettuce to the sophisticated spiciness of the mustards. The range of colors and leaf shapes is nearly infinite as well, making for new possibilities on every trip to the garden. Some, like arugula and tatsoi, even provide beautiful edible flowers to add a contrast of color and flavor.

Of all the vegetables to grow, mesclun salad mix may be the most rewarding. While a ripe, home-grown squash, cucumber, or tomato is usually a cut above what you can buy at the market, salad greens, which deteriorate rapidly when picked, can be a dramatically superior experience to store-bought when eaten fresh from the garden.

There are as many ways to approach growing mesclun as there are gardeners. Some like to create different combinations and then mix up the seeds and broadcast them to create a colorful carpet of "cut-and-come-again" salad. Others like to plant their varieties separately and invent new blends in the salad bowl. Some like to plant in tidy rows while others prefer blocks. Some of us tend to let our greens run wild. While individual rows are easy to sow and cultivate, wide rows or beds have the advantage of choking out the weeds and helping retain moisture.

Whatever your style, you'll want to add generous amounts of compost to your beds before planting to assure rapid growth, which gives the most succulent leaves. After incorporating the compost into the top four inches or so of the soil, work up a nice seedbed by breaking up any clods, removing debris, and leveling the soil. After sowing the seeds, tamp or cover lightly to be sure they are in good contact with the soil. Keep them moist throughout germination. A light straw mulch or a layer of row cover can help maintain consistent moisture, which is not only important for germination, but is essential right through to the harvest for the highest quality greens. Some seeds, such as lettuce, need light to sprout, so be sure not to bury them too deep or cover with opaque materials during germination. I like to plant densely, and then begin to harvest and eat the thinnings as soon as the plants develop a set of true leaves. These "micro-greens" make a great salad, addition to a sandwich, or topping for soup.

Rather than planting only once, try successive sowings of your favorite greens every few weeks throughout the summer. This assures that you'll have plenty of greens in various stages as much of the time as possible. You'll find that even the same variety can provide a different experience depending on the stage of maturity when you harvest it.

There are as many ways to harvest your greens as there are ways to grow them. For the finest mixes, select individual leaves from the middle of the plants: this leaves the outside leaves to shade the soil and choke out weeds and the youngest center leaves to harvest next time. You can also "mow" the young plants with a knife, scissors, or kama (grass sickle) starting at one end of the bed. If you've planned it right, by the time you get to the end, the area where you started will be ready to harvest again.

As much fun as it is to harvest endless bowls of salad greens of all sizes and shapes, it can also be rewarding to grow mature plants. A salad from a single succulent head of romaine, or a stir-fry of mature braising greens, can allow for the essence of a single variety to express itself fully. Growing mature plants can be accomplished by judicious thinning, being sure to never let the plants crowd one another, or by transplanting seedlings with adequate spacing. Starting plants in flats 2-3 weeks before setting out has the added benefit of getting a jump on the season and of saving garden space if you're challenged in that regard.

After harvesting the same bed for a while you'll notice the plants trying to "bolt," or go to flower. For many varieties, especially lettuce and spinach, this tendency is increased by the onset of warmer weather. At this point you have to decide whether to let some plants flower and produce seeds for harvesting and planting later or to harvest what you can, remove the rest, and start over with more greens or another crop. Many salad plants are beautiful in bloom, growing to three feet or more. In addition, besides producing edible flowers for salads and garnishes, the delicate flowers can attract a wide array of beneficial insects to the garden.

If you want to try a permaculture approach to your salad production, let the plants produce seed and "shatter" in place, in which case you'll likely find "volunteers" later in the season or the following year. While some find this notion a bit messy, it is always exciting to harvest food that literally grew itself. If it gets a little out of control you can always transplant seedlings to an "official" spot and compost or till in the rest. If you prevent them from completing the seed cycle again you can avoid having your favorite salad plants become meddlesome "weeds."

From purslane to amaranth, lettuce to arugula, the leafy greens are vital plants that provide vital sustenance. Even in the far north, with a little unheated shelter, they can provide food from early spring through the winter solstice. Add a little heat and light and you can have luscious, living greens year-round.